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A routine look outside led one Toronto resident to an injured bird resting quietly in the shrubs beneath her window.
The bird, a pileated woodpecker, seemed to be unable to fly away, leading the homeowner to believe the animal had smashed into the glass and injured itself.
What happened?
Luckily for the injured bird, the owner of the home whose window he smashed into, Shannon, also works at the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
Once Shannon recognized that the woodpecker's injury might be serious, she reached out to the Wildlife Hotline and brought him in for treatment. In a July 20 Instagram post, the Toronto Wildlife Centre shared the woodpecker's rehabilitation story.
The center wrote that after the woodpecker was brought to the veterinarian for treatment, "the new patient was very feisty (which was good!) ... Dr. Cameron Berg had to gently hold the woodpecker's beak as he started the exam."
The vet then checked the bird for eye ulcers, which can arise after window strikes. And while he didn't find any, he did notice that the bird had some minor lung trauma, which could be treated.
As explained in the post's caption, after a few days at the center, the bird "fully recovered, [and] Shannon released him back into her yard!"
Why does it matter?
Even a glass window can become dangerous for wildlife in an instant because birds often cannot distinguish reflective or transparent glass from open sky or vegetation, especially when shrubs or trees are nearby.
Window collisions are a common hazard for wild birds, even in otherwise quiet residential areas. A bird that stays still, appears dazed, or does not immediately try to escape may be showing signs of trauma after a strike.
This danger does not affect only small backyard songbirds. Larger species, including woodpeckers, can also be vulnerable as they move through urban and suburban spaces.
Spotting a bird in distress and recognizing unusual behavior can make the difference between an animal recovering safely and being left exposed to predators, heat, or further injury.
What's being done?
Wildlife rehabilitation centers such as Toronto Wildlife Centre play an important role in responding when animals are hurt in human-built environments.
There are also practical ways people can reduce the risk around their own homes. Adding external screens or patterned window markers can help birds recognize glass as a barrier.
Keeping blinds or curtains partly closed can also cut down on reflections that make windows look like open habitat.
If a bird appears stunned after a strike, experts generally recommend giving it space and monitoring it from a safe distance. If it does not recover quickly, though, or if it shows obvious signs of injury, contacting a licensed wildlife rehabilitator is the safest next step.
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